opium poppy

American  

noun

1. a Eurasian poppy, Papaver somniferum, having white, pink, red, or purple flowers, cultivated as the source of opium, for its oily seeds, and as an ornamental.

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opium poppy British  

noun

1. a poppy, Papaver somniferum, of SW Asia, with greyish-green leaves and typically white or reddish flowers: widely cultivated as a source of opium

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Etymology

Origin of opium poppy

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

The Taliban's pledge to tackle opium poppy cultivation mirrors a policy they introduced with some success when they were last in power more than two decades ago.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2022

Yet the most widely used analgesics today are essentially folk remedies that have served for centuries: morphine and other opiates derive from the opium poppy, and aspirin comes from willow bark.

From Scientific American • Oct. 10, 2021

Unlike the opium poppy, coffee and tea plants do not press Pollan into service as a propagator.

From Washington Post • Jul. 21, 2021

The circles on the left represent the organisms that contributed genes to the bioengineered yeast: California poppy, rat, goldthread, bacteria, and opium poppy.

From The Verge • Aug. 13, 2015

The earnestness of the people has been strikingly illustrated in the great financial sacrifices made by farmers and landowners in sections where the opium poppy was formerly grown.

From Where Half The World Is Waking Up The Old and the New in Japan, China, the Philippines, and India, Reported With Especial Reference to American Conditions by Poe, Clarence Hamilton